Roasted Cauliflower Steaks With Whipped Feta

Impress everyone with this lovely seasonal and satisfying roasted cauliflower steak with a whipped feta recipe.  Honestly, I would eat plain old roasted cauliflower every day.  But as I have said before (and my husband strongly believes), cheese makes everything better.  This dish is inspired by a close friend whom I met 11+ years ago when I first moved to Northern California. Sometimes, you meet people and you instantly feel their warmth.  She is this person. Smart, witty, kind, and fiercely loyal. She is loved by all. I have long referred to her as my “Kevin Bacon” because she is connected to almost everyone I know in some way, including my college friends from the Midwest. I adore her. A long-time vegetarian, we often discuss vegetables (including on the sidelines of our son’s soccer games) and how to make them remarkable. Like my friend, I think this dish is, in fact, remarkable.

Cauliflower is a white, flowering cruciferous vegetable, with a plethora of believed health benefits.  Cauliflower, a so-called superfood, has a high amount of antioxidants, with lots of omega-3 fatty acids that help fight inflammation throughout the body.  Loaded with Vitamin B, cauliflower is also believed to help lower cholesterol and due to its low-calorie count, can help with weight loss. It is believed to have cancer-fighting properties (specifically for breast, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancer).

Coined “the new kale”  back in 2015 by The New York Daily News, it is easy to see why.  Bake it, broil it, stake it, sauté it, fry it, mash it, puree it, or rice it, anything is doable and it’s all delicious.  Cauliflower’s neutral flavor allows almost anything to be matched with it.

I have not been impressed by many of the whole roasted cauliflower recipes that have flooded food blogs recently. I think many lack flavor, and most don’t offer the delicious crispy edges that we all secretly desire. In this recipe, which I call cauliflower steaks with whipped feta, I kept it as simple as possible (especially for those working parents who are preparing dinner).  By roasting the cauliflower in thick slices, you can obtain nice coloration for dramatic presentation.  The topping of toasted panko bread crumbs, pine nuts, and parley gives a crunchy, buttery taste and texture. I serve the tasty cauliflower steaks with a dollop of flavorful whipped feta cheese on the side.  You cannot go wrong with this easy recipe, which I think will please almost anyone.